The present invention relates to information printers of the dot-matrix type and, more particularly, to novel split-frame stackable blades for use in the printhead thereof.
Known embodiments of printer blades for use in dot-matrix printers may be as described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,390, issued Dec. 12, 1978 to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. The printer blades described therein have a mount portion attached to an oval-shaped rim by a pair of resilient arms; a coil of conductive ribbon is wound about a substantially oval central member and is insulatively maintained within the oval rim. A printing tip, extending away from the coil-bearing rim, is caused to move and to impact an ink-retaining ribbon and ink-retaining media, when current flowing through the coil interacts with a transverse magnetic field. The interaction moves the integral combination of coil-rim-printing tip and results in deflection of the resilient arms with respect to the stationary mounting portion. This configuration, while having many desirable features, does experience connection failure at (a) the connective lead attachment at the inner, coil-bearing rim, at which point one end of the coil is attached, and (b) the coil connection to the outer rim, which is itself integrally joined to the resilient arms-mounting portion of the blade. A more reliable printing blade for use in a matrix-type printer head, is desirable.